Well head set screw port exit of control line for down-hole safety valve

ABSTRACT

Valves fittings and flexible tubing for connection to the upper ends of one or more control lines for down hole safety valves are connected to these upper ends above the tubing hangers and seals and communicated to the exterior of the head through one or more ports conventionally used for set screws, using disclosed fittings in the ports. Assembled parts may be tested for leaks before the tubing bonnet and remainder of the christmas tree are installed.

United States Patent 1191 Hull, Jr,

[ June 4, 1974 1 WELL HEAD SET SCREW PORT EXIT OF CONTROL LINE FORDOWN-HOLE SAFETY VALVE [75] Inventor: John L. Hull, Jr., Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Gray Tool Company, Houston, Tex.

[22] Filed: May 8, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 358,387

[52] US. Cl 166/89, 166/97, 285/137 A [51] Int. Cl E2Ib 33/03 [58] Fieldof Search 166/88, 89, 97; 285/137 A,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,043.371 7/1962 Rector..166/88 3,207,221 9/1965 Cochran et a1. 166/86 3,255,823 7/1966 Barton166/88 3.688.841 Baugh 166/89 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 677,459l/1964 Canada 166/89 776,490 l/1968 Canada ..166/89 PrimaryExaminer.lames A. Leppink Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby &Cushman [57] ABSTRACT Valves fittings and flexible tubing for connectionto the upper ends of one or more control lines for down hole safetyvalves are connected to these upper ends above the tubing hangers andseals and communicated to the exterior of the head through one or moreports conventionally used for set screws, using disclosed fittings inthe ports. Assemb1ed parts may be tested for leaks before the tubingbonnet and remainder of the christmas tree are installed.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 PATENIEDJUM 4 m4 saw 2 OF 2 WELL HEAD SETSCREW PORT EXIT OF CONTROL LINE FOR DOWN-HOLE SAFETY VALVE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION present invention does not require a special tubingbonnet, may more readily be incorporated in existing wells, can permitcontinued production from a well while the control line power source isbeing serviced or repaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Valves fittings and flexible tubing forconnection to the upper ends of one or more control lines for down holesafety valves are connected to these upper ends above the tubing hangersand seals and communicated to the exterior of the head through one ormore ports conventionally used for set screws, using disclosed fittingsin the ports. Assembled parts may be tested for leaks before the tubingbonnet and remainder of the christmas tree are installed.

The principles of the invention will be further herein.- after discussedwith reference to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment is shown.The specifics illustrated in the drawing are intended to exemplify,rather than limit, aspects of the invention as defined in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWING IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top planview of a tubing head provided with an installation in accordance withthe principles of the present invention, part of one set screw portbeing broken away to exposeinterior details; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially along theline 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Theaforementioned co-pending application of McGee et al describes aside-by-side dual completion wherein two semicircular tubing hangers areprovided with slots on their'flat faces leading to bores for the receipt of control lines for respective down-hole safety valves. The slotsfacilitate the carrying out of a method described therein for installingthe control lines in tension without kinking. All of the disclosure inthat application is hereby incorporated into this one to avoid needlessrepetition of matters already described therein. Attention will be paidto differences.

In conducting the method of the invention in its presently mostpreferred form: Assembly and running of the tubing strings, down holevalves, control lines, tubing hangers and packing assembly may becarried out substantially as set forth in the aforementioned copendingapplication of McGee et al.

At the stage shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hanger 10 has shouldered in thetubing head 12, the pack-off 14 has been installed and compressed'byrunning in conventional set screws 16 (one shown, of several used). Adual completion is shown (note the two sealing cones 18 at the upperends of the respective tubing strings), but since they are alike, thefollowing description will deal with a representative one.

The control line 20, a one-fourth string of tubing that protrudes upthrough a bore 22 in the pack-off 14 is secured and sealed in place viaa control line seal nipple 24 that screws into the tubing hanger at 26to abutment at 28 and has its exterior sealed with the pack-off 14 at30. The nipple 24 has a longitudinal bore 32 up through which thecontrol line 20 extends. The upper end of the bore 32 is enlarged toreceive, in ascending order. a

stage, earlier than that depicted in the figures, a blind plug andblanking cap may be installed on the setting nut via the internalthreads 44 in the upper end of the throughbore thereof.

The installation depicted is further completed by rotatatively runningan annular nut 46 into one of the otherwise extra set screw ports 47until it engages the stop shoulder 48 therein. A packing gland nut 50. aspacer 52, packing 54 and and a lock nut 56 are assembled on the neck 58of a needle valve 60 and inserted in the port 47 until the gland nut 50threadably mates with the threads 62 sufficiently to establish seals atthe packing, at 64, and at the tapered nose 66 where the inner end ofthe valve 60 housing fits in a corresponding taper in the outer end ofthe bore of the annular nut By means of e.g. Swagelok fittings 68, 70secured .on its opposite ends, a length of flexible tubing 72 isconnected between the inner end of the nut 46 and the upper end of thesetting nut 40. Close tolerances for the tubing 72 are not involvedbecause it is somewhat flexible and may either be pre-cut to length atthe factory or field cut to length for installation in the orientationsubstantially as depicted in the figures.

A pressure line 74 may now be connected to the inlet port 76 of thevalve 60 and the latter opened (if not already open) by manipulating thestem 80 to test the control line and its actuation of the down-holesafety valve (not shown) at the lower end of the control line 20. Notethat this may be done before the bonnet or any further christmas treeequipment that would obscure the ports is installed. If testing andinspection indicates proper assembly and sealing, a conventional tubingbonnet and further christmas tree equipment installed.

Note these advantages over the equipment of the aforementionedco-pending application of McGee et al.:

l. A special design of tubing bonnet is not required.

2. lf a down hole valve is to be installed in an existing well, the onlychange in equipment is the use of the control line passing type oftubing hanger and packoff(e.g. per McGee et al.) and the installing ofthe various parts between the control line upper end and the pressureline 74 as described above.

3. Possible greater economy.

4. Pressure can be maintained in the control line while the pressuregenerating and controlling equipment upstream of the valve 60 isrepaired or serviced by closing the valve 60.

Note that the critical seals are preferably metal-tometal ones. Notealso that the invention may be used with single, dual, triple, or othermultiple completions, subject only to the corresponding availability. ofotherwise un-needed set screw ports in the tubing head and space for theflexible tubing and its fittings between the tubing head and the tubingbonnet that will be mounted on the tubing head. As an optional feature,note that the fitting 70 could be closed during running of the tubinghangers to eliminate the need for temporary installation of a blind plugand blanking cap as disclosed under item 11 in the summary of theinvention in the aforementioned co-pending application of MeGee et al.

lt should now be apparent that the well head set screw port exit ofcontrol line for down-hole safety valve. as described hereinabovepossesses each of the attributes set forth in the specification underthe heading Summary of the Invention hereinabove. Because the well headset screw port exit of control line for down-hole safety valve of theinvention can be modified to some extent without departing from theprinciples of the invention as they have been outlined and exshould beunderstood as encompassing all stTc h modifi v 4 cations as are withinthe spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An installation for controlling down hole, control line-operatedequipment such as a safety valve of a petroleum well, comprising:

a tubing head having a plurality of set screw ports of the sort normallyprovided for respective receipt of set screws to compress a pack-offdown against a tubing hanger;

a tubing hanger mounted in the tubing head for suspending a string oftubing in the well and pack-off means for sealing between the tubinghead and th tubing;

a control line extending up. through the tubing hanger, up past thepack-off means and being exteriorly sealed with respect to the tubinghead'by the pack-off means;

one of said set screw ports lacking a set screw and instead thereofbeing provided with: openable and closable valve means sealed thereinand being operable from exteriorly of the tubing head;

fluid-tight conduit means interconnecting the control line with said oneset screw port down stream from said valve;

and means exteriorly of the tubing hanger for connection of a pressureline to the one set screw port upstream from said valve.

2. The installation of claim 1 wherein the fluid tight conduit meansincludes a flexible tube having fittings at each end thereof for saidinterconnecting.

3. The installation of claim 2 further including an annular adapter nutreceived in the one set screw port ahead of said valve, the respectiveof said fittings being secured to said adapter nut.

1. An installation for controlling down hole, control lineoperatedequipment such as a safety valve of a petroleum well, comprising: atubing head having a plurality of set screw ports of the sort normallyprovided for respective receipt of set screws to compress a pack-offdown against a tubing hanger; a tubing hanger mounted in the tubing headfor suspending a string of tubing in the well and pack-off means forsealing between the tubing head and the tubing; a control line extendingup through the tubing hanger, up past the pack-off means and beingexteriorly sealed with respect to the tubing head by the pack-off means;one of said set screw ports lacking a set screw and instead thereofbeing provided with: openable and closable valve means sealed thereinand being operable from exteriorly of the tubing head; fluid-tightconduit means interconnecting the control line with said one set screwport down stream from said valve; and means exteriorly of the tubinghanger for connection of a pressure line to the one set screw portupstream from said valve.
 2. The installation of claim 1 wherein thefluid tight conduit means includes a flexible tube having fittings ateach end thereof for said interconnecting.
 3. The installation of claim2 further including an annular adapter nut received in the one set screwport ahead of said valve, the respective of said fittings being securedto said adapter nut.